Uncoupling device for railway cars



Sept. 28 1926. 1,601,540 T. N. RUSSELL IUNCOUPLING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY was Filed April 24, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 28 1926;

.T. ,N. RUSSELL UNCOUPLING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY CARS zs't-sna 77% hees etz Filed April 24, 1922 Patented Sept. 28, 1926.

UNITED STATES THOMAS NATHAN RUSSELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 CHICAGO-CLEVE- 7 PATENT OFFICE.

LAND CAR ROOFING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

UNCOUPLING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY CARS.

Application filed April 24, 1922. Serial No. 556,205..

The invention relates to uncoupling devices for railway cars of that class which are mounted on railway cars and adapted to be operated to release the knuckle lock between the drawheads without requiring the operator to go between the cars.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an uncoupling device composed of few parts, which is economical to manufacture, durable and accurate in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an uncoupling device having fewparts which are so combined as to obviate any possibility of the parts becoming inoperative, separated or lost during continued usage under adverse conditions, a difficulty frequently experienced with uncoupling devices of other types now in use, with the resulting disadvantage of requiring the operator to enter between the cars to release the knuckle lock.

A still further and important object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described in which any other than axial movement of the knuckle lock during usage, or any tendency of the same to tilt or swing while being withdrawn from its seat is or may be accommodated by a compensatory movement of the lifting link.

lVith such objects in view as well as other advantages which may be incident to the use of the improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the elements constituting the same may be varied in proportions and arrangement without departing from the nature and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood there are shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical effect, without limiting the improvements, in their useful applications, to the particular constructions which,

for the purpose of explanation, have been made the subject of illustration.

In said drawings Figure l is a plan view of the uncoupling device in its preferred form as attached to the end of a railway car;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same, looking toward the end of the car. 7 Fig. 3 is a similar view looking from the operating side of the device.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing the interlocked relation of the upper end lower link members; 7

Fig. 5 is a side view ofthe same;

Fig. 6 is a similar View partly in section showing the manner of engaging the links with eachother;

Fig. 7 is a view in cross section on line 77 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicatesa transverse supporton the end of a freight car, 2 the draw bar provided with the usual draw head 3, and 4 the knuckle lock, mounted in the usual manner for vertical reciprocation within the draw head. Suitably secured as by bolts 5 to the support 1 and on the upper surface thereof, is a bearing mem ber 6, preferably of metal and suitably secured as by bolts 7 to the end of the freight car and in horizontal alinement with the member 6 is asimilar bearing member 8. V A hand operated rod or rock shaft 9 is mounted within the bearings 6 and 8 and is preferably composed of a single member having a central main portion pivotally secured within the bearings and having its ends bent at right angles to each other and to the main portion to provide an operating handle 10 and a knuckle-lock elevating arm 11. The

outer end of the arm 11 is provided with an,

eye 12 from which is loosely suspended the upper link member 13 of the uncoupling device. The member 13 is formed preferably of wrought iron and at its upper end is round and is bent inwardly and outwardly to form a hook portion 14 adapted to loosely engage the eye 12 of the elevating arm 11,

and is then bent downwardly and upwardly to form the hook portion 15 which insures the continued engagement of the link with the eye 12. The lower portion of the link 13 is flattened as at16 and an aperturef or slot 17 is provided in said flattened portion, and at its lower extremity said flattened and slotted portion is bent outwardly at right angles to provide an apertured seat 18 for a purpose to be described. I

19 is the lower lifting link of the coupling device engaging the knuckle-lock and having its upper end bent at right angles thereto and upset or swaged as at 20 at its eX- tremity. The opposite sides of such swaged portion are provided with vertically disposed lugs 21 adaped to slidably engage and embrace the vertical Walls of the slot 17 of the upper link member 1?). Longitudinal relative movement of the upper and lower links is limited by the engagement of the swaged portion 20 with the horizontal recessed seat 18 and the slot 17 accommodates upward motion of the link 19 due to track irregularities and any upward tendency of the knuckle-lock a during usage, and also permits the outer end of the uncoupling rod to drop back to vertical position and thereby to prevent injury to a trainman, while the knuckle-lock remains elevated. At its lower end the link 19 is bent upon itself as at 22 to provide a hook adapted to engage the knuckle-lock 4, and is further bent upon itself at 23 to insure against the knuckle-lock being arred loose or otherwise becoming accidentally displaced from such engagement. The portion 23 is offset from the hook portion '22 to permit the link to be passed through the eye of the knuckledock when the occasion requires, as in assembling or dismantling the device.

As best shown in Fig. 4 the lugs 21 in the swaged portion of the link 19, are rounded or beveled at 24 to permit a rocking rela-' tive movement between the links 13 and 19, which rocking movement is desirable and often necessary to accommodate any tendency of the knuckle-lock to tilt or swing during use or while it is being withdrawn from or inserted in the coupler head 3. The beveled construction of the lugs 21 serves also to insure the sliding engagement of the link 19 within the slot or recess 17 and effectually prevents any tendency of the links to bind during usage.

Having once been assembled the links 13 and 19 may be subjected to the severest shocks and strains incident to prolonged and careless usage without any possibility of their becoming separated from one another as is frequently the case among analogous parts in certain of other uncoupling devices now in service, and the resultant inoperativeness of the apparatus due to such separation is eliminated in this invention, and the manner of assembly is as follows. The links 13 and 19 being formed as illustrated in Figs. l and 5, they are engaged with one another as shown in Fig. 6. The lower flattened portion 16 of the link 13 are spread apart, as shown in the drawing and the part 20 of the link 19 is inserted. The flattened portion is then hammered or pressed into its former shape to slidably engage the lugs 21 of the portion 20 with the vertical walls of the slot 17 and thereupon the parts are ready for service. In order to again separate the links the same spreading operation must take place. It will be seen that this method provides a simple and effective means of permanently locking the parts in position against future displacement and further it will be impossible for any unauthorized person to so tamper with the parts to render the device unfit for service.

The assembling of the other parts above described and the operation of the device will be apparent. The hook 22- of the lower of the engaged links is passed through the eye of the knuckle-lock 4t and the hook portions 14 and 15 of the upper link is passed through the eye 12 of the elevating arm 11. When it is desired to lift the knuckle-lock to couple or uncouple cars, the operator pulls outwardly and upwardly on the handle 10 thus elevating the arm 11, raising the links 13 and 19 and lifting the knuckle-lock 1 from its seat, the link 19 being free to swing horizontally in the recessed seat 18 to accommodate any lateral movement of the knuckle-lock 1. By releasing the hand lever, it drops by gravity back into its former position, and if the coupler is of the type wherein the knuckle-lock remains at full elevated position until the knuckle is closed, the movement to normal of the hand lever is permitted by the compensatory movement of the two links of the uncoupling device.

My invention as hereinabove set forth is embodied in one particular form of construction, but I do not limit it thereto or to less than all the possible forms in which he said invention as hereinafter claimed may be embodied and distinguished from prior crevices.

I claim: v

1. An uncoupling device for railway cars, comprising in combination: a rock shaft adapted to be secured to a car and having an arm extending outwardly at right angles therefrom, an upper link member engaged by and depending from said arm, a lower link member engaged by and depending from said upper link member, a headed pro jection formed on said lower member which slidably engages in a slot in the upper link member; said members engaging each other so as to permit of vertical movementof said lower link member relative to said upper link member and horizontal movement of said lower link member in a plane at right angles to the'plane of the outwardly extending arm of the rock shaft and a knucklelock normally engaged and'adapted to be lifted by said lower link member.

2. An uncoupling device for railway cars, comprising in combination: a rock shaft adapted to be secured to a car and having an arm extending outwardly at right angles from the main portion of the rod, an upper link member loosely engaged by and depending from said arm and provided with avertical slot and recessed seat, a lower link member loosely engaged by and depending from said upper link member and having a swaged portion loosely engaging the material defining said vertical slot, the en gagement of said swaged portion within said slot being such as to permit of vertical movement of said lower link with respect to said upper link and horizontal movement before and during the course of said vertical move ment, and a knuckle-lock engaged by said lower link and lifted thereby during the course of said horizontal movement.

3. An uncoupling device for railway cars, comprising in combination: a rock shaft pivotally mounted on the end of a car and having a hand lever and a lifting arm, an upper link member loosely engaged by and depending from said arm and having a vertical slot and slotted seat, a lower link member provided with a swaged portion at its upper end and mounted for reciprocation within said vertical slot working in said slotted seats and adapted at its lower end to engage and lift a knuckle-lock, grooves in said swaged portion, said grooves being provided with beveled sides to permit horizontal movement of said lower link member with respect to said upper link member, and to prevent binding engagement of said link members.

4:. An uncoupling depending link having at its upper end means for lifting same and having at its lower end means for engagement with a knuckle-lock, said link being formed of upper and lower parts, one part having a vertical slot, the other having a projection slidably engaging in the slot of the first named part, said projection being recessed to embrace portions adjacent said slot.

5. An uncoupling depending link having at its upper end means for lifting sameand having at its lower end means for engagement with a knuckle-lock, said link being formed of upper and lower parts each having a projection in sliding engagement with the other part and said lower part having a horizontally slotted and swinging engagement with said upper part.

6. A lifting link for uncoupling devices consisting of two parts, the upper end of the lower part having a recessed projection in vertical sliding engagement with the upper part and said lower part having a horizontal slotted and swinging engagement with said upper part.

7. A lifting link for uncoupling devices consisting of two parts having a vertically sliding and horizontally swinging engagement with each other, the upper part being formed with a vertical slot and at its lower end with a horizontal slotted extension and said lower part being embraced in the slot of said extension and having its upper end arranged in said vertical slot and provided with lugs embracing said'upper part at the sides of said vertical slot.

8. A lifting link for uncoupling devices consisting of two parts having a vertically sliding and horizontally swinging engagement with each other, the upper part being formed with a vertical slot and at its lower end with a horizontal slotted extension and said lower part being embraced in the slot of said extension and having its upper end arranged in said vertical slot and provided with lugs rounded on their inner faces and embracing said upper part at the sides of said vertical slot.

9. A lifting link for uncoupling devices consisting of an upper part provided with guides and a lower part provided with a head interposed between the guides, lugs on said head embracing said guides.

10. A link adapted for connecting the operating lever of a car coupler with the locking member thereof comprising two members, one having a vertical slot therein,

the other having a projection which slidably engages within the slot formed in the other link member, the projection on the other member having recesses to receive the portions forming the vertical slot in the one member.

11. A link adapted for connecting the operating lever of a car coupler with the locking member thereof comprising two members, one having a vertical slot therein, the other having a projection slidable in said slot, said projection having heads thereon that form recesses into which the members forming said vertical slot engage.

12. A lifting link for uncoupling devices consisting of two parts, the upper part having a slot therein, the lower part having a projection adapted to extend into said slot, the projection being recessed to embrace portions adjacent said slot, and the upper part having a projection on its lower end in sliding engagement with said lower part.

THOMAS NATHAN RUSSELL. 

